New and Improved

I know that I had a specific idea in mind when I first began the sign-in process tonight, but after fighting with Blogger and the requirement to change from the old Blogger sign-in and system to the new Google system, I have completely forgotten what it was. Change, especially a difficult change, can make you completely forget what you were going to do in the first place.

Why are we like that? Why is change so hard? Why do we fight it so much? I suppose that these are good subjects to reflect on in this season of Lent. Reflection, repentance, change. Lent is a time to reflect. It is a time to repent. Reflection and repentance should lead to change. But we usually do not want to change.

Change is one of those things - like death and taxes - that happens, whether we want it to or not. We are never ready for it, we usually fight it, and are never sure it was a good thing. Change is especially difficult when it is someone else's idea, rather than our own. We might diet if we want to improve our chances of fitting into last springs new suit, but not if the doctor tells us to. We might change how we perform a particular function if we decide that it might be easier another way, but not if someone else suggest it first. We might live differently if we thought we had something to gain, but not because God told us to. The 10 commandments might as well be the 10 impossible things that we'll never get around to, because they are just too hard (or the 10 suggestions, for similar reasons).

Reflection is hard because it causes us to examine ourselves. Why is learning a new system so hard? Why is creating a new user name and password so hard? If it was something new that I wanted to do, I would think nothing of creating a new log in and password, and reading the instructions to make it work more smoothly; but let Google force me into it and I want to fight it - one of the reasons I have ignored their suggestion for the past 4 months about switching over while it was optional - I had to wait until they forced it.

We are like this when it comes to examining our own lives. Why don't I treat people with more respect? Why do I not follow a healthier lifestyle and diet? Why can't I see that these things would be better for me? Because I am human; because I am a sinful creature who wants things my way.

During Lent, the challenge to each of us is to reflect, repent as needed, change as necessary. Most of all, ask forgiveness, and pray that we might become better creatures. We know that God will forgive us. Can we see that we need forgiveness and ask for it? Can we forgive ourselves? More reflection. And so the season of Lent.